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11 Black Women Who Were Killed For Saying 'No'

Misogyny and domestic violence against women are both ugly, ongoing issues in our society that continue to result in the senseless deaths of thousands of women annually. In many of these cases, the women victimized by the terrible realities of this epidemic had their lives cut short simply because they refused the advances, requests or orders of men. As we continue our efforts to bring awareness to this horrific and troubling problem in hopes of bringing it to an end, here are 12 women who were killed just for saying "no."

Tiarah Poyau was a 22-year-old St. John's University college student who was shot in the face at point blank range by a man who she rejected after he began dancing on her during the annual J'Ouvert festival in Brooklyn, NY.

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Janese Talton-Jackson

Janese Talton-Jackson was a 29-year-old Pittsburgh woman who was fatally shot by a stranger from a local bar after she repeatedly rejected his sexual advances.

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Cherica Adams

Cherica Adams was a 24-year-old North Carolina college student who was murdered by a hitman while 8 months pregnant with her first child. Police later determined that her boyfriend, NFL star Ray Carruth, had hired the hitman to kill Cherica after she refused to abort their baby.

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Jessica Hampton

Jessica Hampton was a 25-year-old mother of one who was fatally stabbed by her ex-boyfriend while riding a Chicago subway. The two had reportedly had a domestic dispute that turned violent before the fatal incident.

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Mary Spears

Mary Spears was a 27-year-old Detroit woman who was shot to death by a stranger after she refused to give him her phone number.

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Nokuthula Thashe

Nokuthula Thashe was a 28-year-old woman from Cape Town, South Africa who was fatally shot by her boyfriend after turning down his marriage proposal.

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Kasandra Perkins

Kasandra Perkins was the 22-year-old girlfriend of NFL star Jovan Belcher, who fatally shot her and then shot himself after she refused to allow him to have full custody of their daughter should they split up.

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Nova Henry

Nova Henry was a 24-year-old woman murdered by her former lover and lawyer. The man fatally shot Henry, along with her 10-month-old daughter, after she relieved him as her lawyer and took out a restraining order against him for allegedly threatening her.

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LaVena Johnson

LaVena Johnson was a 19-year-old soldier in the United States Army who was brutally beaten to death and raped by unknown assailants. Her death was sadly ruled a suicide by the Army, despite her body being found with a black eye, loose teeth, broken nose and burned genitals.

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April Jace

April Jace was the 40-year-old wife of actor Michael Jace, who shot her to death over suspicion that she was having an affair after she told him she wanted a divorce.

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Julia Martin

Julia Martin was a beloved 27-year-old daughter and sister who was brutally stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend when she allowed him to come to her apartment so she could return the engagement ring he gave her.